The city's climate is temperate and arid. Temperature in the winter can fall below 0°C, and in the summer, it can reach in excess of 30°C.

The city is the second in importance after the capital city, Tlaxcala. It is of major commercial and trade value to the state because it is halfway on the road between Mexico City and the port of Veracruz.

The census of 2005 reported a population of 49,459 in the city of Apizaco, while the municipality had 73,097 inhabitants. The city is the second largest in the state in population, behind only Villa Vicente Guerrero. The municipality has an area of 56.83 km² (21.94 sq mi) and includes a small number of other communities, the largest of which are Santa Anita Huiloac, Santa María Texcalac, and San Luis Apizaquito.